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Patience test for Group One winner

3 minute read

Tony and Nicky Kaye have had to be inventive to keep their stable star Iamishwara from becoming too active during his rehabilitation.

Iamishwara winning the Ezibuy Awapuni Gold Cup Picture: Race Images PN

The Awapuni couple haven’t had the most patient of patients as their Group One winner recovers from a torn suspensory ligament suffered last winter.

“He just loves being a racehorse but he’s handling it better now – he went a bit stir crazy for a while,” Tony Kaye said.

“Whenever a float turns up he gets excited and we’re close to the racecourse here so when the races are on we have a big stereo unit turned up loud outside his box so he can’t hear anything

“If he hears the commentator he just gets stirred up and wants to get out there.”

Iamishwara was close to resuming last August when he suffered the setback.

“The vet has been quite happy with the horse and he’s just started to do a bit of walking and trotting,” Kaye said.

“We’ll get him through the winter and keep him ticking over with a bit of work, but without pushing him. Plenty of horses come back from similar sorts of injuries and he’s such a strong horse so that will help him along.

“In another five months he will be scanned again and fingers crossed he’ll be all clear and start some fast work and he’ll be ready for the spring.”

An $8000 Festival Sale purchase at Karaka in 2011, Iamishwara has proved a great money-spinner for the Kayes with 12 wins and 16 placings taking his stake earnings to nearly $410,000.

The Keeninsky gelding’s career highlight was his victory a year ago in the Gr.1 Haunui Farm WFA Classic and he subsequently added the Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup to his record.